Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: DeSantis world makes Mass. moves

Saturday, June 24, 2023

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: DeSantis world makes Mass. moves

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MAKE MASSACHUSETTS FLORIDA — Ron DeSantis once used Massachusetts as the backdrop for one of his biggest political stunts . Now the Republican Florida governor and his allies are quietly laying the groundwork for his presidential campaign in this traditional Super Tuesday state as they prepare to play deep into the primary calendar.

DeSantis’ campaign has activated volunteers, including MassGOP Vice Chair Jay Fleitman and state committeewoman Mary Lou Stuart, to build a supporter network in Massachusetts.

And Ken Cuccinelli, founder of the DeSantis-aligned super PAC Never Back Down, is expected in Massachusetts later this week to connect with potential donors as the operation works to staff up and canvass in states that vote through Super Tuesday , a spokesperson for the group confirmed.

Fleitman said he connected with the DeSantis camp through the Florida GOP . The governor’s team then reached out a few weeks ago asking Fleitman to start lining up supporters in Massachusetts.

“We need somebody who has the right politics but also is the type of candidate who can appeal to independent voters. We need a candidate who can actually win,” Fleitman, who said he helped campaign for Donald Trump in New Hampshire in 2020, told Playbook. “DeSantis is the type of person who could win nationwide.”

The DeSantis campaign confirmed it has started recruiting volunteers in Massachusetts, but declined to get more specific about its operations here.

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. | Andy Barron/AP Photo

DeSantis and his allies’ early maneuvers in Massachusetts signal that the Florida governor is preparing for a prolonged fight for the Republican presidential nomination, presumably against polling frontrunner Trump. Massachusetts will likely again be in the lineup for Super Tuesday, traditionally the biggest batch of nominating contests after the four early states. And DeSantis’ early attention here shows the pivotal role this deep-blue state and its 40 delegates could play in a close Republican primary fight.

Trump won Massachusetts’ 2016 Republican presidential primary with 49 percent of the vote. Four years later, he won roughly 87 percent of the vote against the state’s former governor, Bill Weld. Support for the former president still runs deep among party activists and the Republican grassroots.

But DeSantis has already been making inroads here. Prominent conservative donor and auto-parts magnate Rick Green has pledged to support DeSantis this cycle, though he didn’t respond to Playbook’s questions about his relationship with the campaign. And while support for Trump was clearly visible on signs at this month’s GOP state committee meeting, at least one member was spotted wearing a DeSantis for president T-shirt.

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tips? Scoops? Working for DeSantis (or any other presidential campaign) in Massachusetts? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com .

TODAY — House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark , Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Stephen Lynch , Gov. Maura Healey , Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo hold an event on the CHIPS Act at 11 a.m. at the JATC Electrical Training Center in Dorchester. Healey visits Jewish Vocational Service Boston at 10 a.m. and joins Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll for a meeting with the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus at 1:30 p.m. at the State House. Wu is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at 12:30 p.m

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— REWIND: Gov. Maura Healey told GBH on Friday that the Supreme Court would be “terribly misguided” if it decides to end affirmative action in college admissions. She repeated that at a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at the State House, where she also vowed to “keep fighting every single day to dismantle systemic racism in all its forms.”

— PARDON THE UPDATE: The Governor’s Council will start holding hearings on Healey’s seven pardon recommendations this week. Meanwhile, Healey's team has received another three recommendations for pardons from the Parole Board, a spokesperson said, bringing the total cases under review by her office to four.

— “Nurses rally for change to hospital closure rules, say DPH is ‘toothless’ to prevent,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: “Following dozens of hospital closures and while the state’s medical facilities continue to face challenges in keeping nurses at bedsides, advocates and medical practitioners will tell lawmakers [in a hearing today] that public health is placed at risk when corporations put profit over patients.”

FROM THE HUB

— “Wu rejects Council’s cuts to city departments, including Boston Police,” by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter: “Mayor Michelle Wu on Friday rejected the City Council’s proposed cuts to Boston Police and a host of other city departments, including veterans affairs and the Boston Public Library. … In a letter to the City Council on Friday, Wu said the cut to police was ‘illusory,’ because the city is ‘obligated to cover salary and overtime expenses incurred by the department.’”

— "In Boston City Council redistricting mess, Ruthzee Louijeune emerges as a leader," by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe.

— "Suffolk district attorney places official on leave after report about antisemitic remarks," by Laura Crimaldi, Boston Globe.

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Sen. Ed Markey is endorsing his 2020 campaign finance director, Sharon Durkan , in the special election for District 8 Boston city councilor, her campaign said.

— HAVERHILL UPHEAVAL: Some of the state's top politicians are voicing concern over allegations of misconduct by Haverhill School Committee member and mayoral candidate Scott Wood that were detailed in two background checks for police jobs that WHAV surfaced last week .

Rep. Lori Trahan and state Rep. Andy Vargas said in a joint statement that they're "deeply disturbed" by Wood's alleged behavior and that he "owes Haverhill residents an explanation." Markey also weighed in, tweeting , “From our police forces to our school committees and city halls — there is no room for racism, misogyny, harassment, or bigotry in Massachusetts,” along with a link to a WHAV story on the situation.

Wood is suing the city over the distribution of one of the background checks, which he claims cost him police jobs in Haverhill and Wenham. He has dismissed an attempt to censure him over the allegations as part of a “political smear campaign” tied to the mayor’s race. Vargas is backing City Councilor Melinda Barrett for mayor; Trahan, who co-signed the statement with Vargas, is not backing anyone.

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “As other parts of Green Line saw upgrades, tracks where MBTA train derailed Monday hadn’t seen a major overhaul since 2002,” by Laura Crimaldi and Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: “Now, the T’s top leader says the agency is planning to begin construction ahead of schedule to replace tracks at and near the sharp curve on Commonwealth Avenue in both directions.”

— WATCH: MBTA general manager Phillip Eng hinted at “some” staffing changes and the need to “reinvent” the system to adapt to pandemic ridership changes on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large.”

MAHTY MONITOR

— “Why Marty Walsh left the Biden administration to run the NHL players’ union,” by Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press: “‘This job is more like being the mayor,’ Walsh said in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press during the Stanley Cup Final in Las Vegas.”

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— “Big decisions looming on offshore wind,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “The developers say they need more money to build their wind farms, which is putting regulators in a very awkward situation. States need the wind farms to have a chance of meeting their climate change goals, but giving in to the demands of the developers could set a dangerous precedent and translate into much higher prices for electricity ratepayers.”

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD BE READING

— "Life after prison: Mass. leaves thousands of prisoners awaiting education that would help their re-entry," by Chris Burrell and Paul Singer, GBH News: "Some 3,100 state prisoners — more than half of all those incarcerated in Massachusetts prisons — were waiting to get into academic, vocational or technology classes last fall, records show. About 850, or just 15% of prisoners, were actually enrolled in a class. And instead of boosting programs, the state Department of Correction is moving away from in-person classes and relying more on online learning."

— “Teachers in New Bedford and across Mass. could lose jobs due to expiring COVID emergency teaching licenses,” by Colin Hogan, New Bedford Light: “Thousands of teachers across Massachusetts are facing non-renewal of their contracts due to the expiration of emergency teaching licenses. In New Bedford, the primary driver of roughly 180 teacher non-renewals — a spike from the normal amount of non-renewals — is the expiration of these licenses, which are no longer automatically reissued since the official end of the COVID-19 emergency.”

— “Trump and Teixeira stand accused of breaking the same law,” by Mike Damiano, Boston Globe: “Donald Trump, indicted in Florida on June 8, and Jack D. Teixeira, indicted in Worcester last week, both now face federal prosecutions under the same provision of the Espionage Act of 1917, a law the government has used for decades to lock up spies and leakers of government secrets. And both men are accused of additional conduct — obstructing investigations and disclosing classified material — that could make their sentences more severe if they are convicted.”

— “Hard feelings after North Brookfield official removes pride flags from town property,” by Jeff A. Chamer, Telegram & Gazette: “Three petitions aimed at recalling two North Brookfield elected officials and canceling an upcoming pride event were not submitted to the town’s Board of Selectmen, said Chairman Jason Petraitis in an interview with the T&G on Saturday. Organizers are excited the event will face no issues next weekend, but are feeling frustrated with Petraitis after he removed small pride flags they planted for a story about Small Town Pride that will air on NBC’s Nightly News with Lester Holt. “

— “Taunton mayor’s daughter found safe in Ohio after she went missing last week,” by Nick Stoico, Boston Globe.

— “Former head of Legal Sea Foods supporting Massachusetts lobstermen in battle against California aquarium that told people to stop eating lobster,” by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald.

— “Case of stolen body parts from Harvard Medical School morgue began with a tip from an ex-lover,” by Dugan Arnett and Sean Cotter, Boston Globe.

— “Nation split on whether to allow book bans, UMass Amherst/WCVB poll finds,” by WCVB.

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— “Democrats buy time in fight over New Hampshire primary,” by Lisa Kashinsky, POLITICO: “The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted as expected on Friday to give New Hampshire until Sept. 1 to comply with the national party’s requirements to move its primary behind South Carolina’s in early February — or get kicked out of the official early state window for 2024."

— NEARLY SUNU-NO: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu told WEEI Friday that he’s “not leaning towards” seeking a record fifth term — partly because he could “make a real paycheck” by going back to the private sector.

— “N.H. state senator accused of assaulting employee of restaurant he owns,” by Steven Porter, Boston Globe.

— “NH officials say they're looking into neo-Nazi incident outside drag story hour in Concord,” by NHPR.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — MKS Instruments’ John T.C. Lee is now chair of the Massachusetts High Technology Council board; Corey Thomas of Rapid7 is vice chair.

— Quint Forgey is now communications director for the congressional campaign of Michael B. Moore, a Democrat running in South Carolina. He continues as an MPP candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School and is a POLITICO alum.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Sen. Sal DiDomenico, Mark Gardner , the Boston Globe’s Samantha J. Gross , Eagle-Tribune alum Breanna Edelstein, Tom Tripicco, Sydney Asbury , principal of DNM Solutions and Anastasia Nicolaou .

Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com .

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